Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-07-20
DAILY HERALD.
ORANGES.
Their Culture in Southern
California.
THE PRESENT STATUS.
The Future Great Promise OF
This Most Fascinating ef
All Rural Pursuits.

This Most Fascinating ef
All Rural Pursuits.
ANY one who has read Charles
Kingsley's charming book named "a
Winter in the Tropics" will readily
recall the cxultant joy in which he
enters on the telling cf u few short
months spent near the central regions
ef the world. The fact is that all
men look upon the tropics and all
connected with that part of the earth,
as clad ia q peculiar fascination and
glamour. When all is said the most
marvellous thing car Eastern visitor
finds here in the semi-tropics is the
orange groves Of South California.
There is around these trees and
their wealth of golden fruit Ger
tain amount of the glamour, and
the sweet aroma attaching to the
charmed land of their birth. But
there il something else that appeals as
strongly to the practical common sense
If the average man, AZ this spice Of the
tropics does to the imagination of a
person who stands beneath the thick
and glossy foliage of an orange tree
and beholds the luscious burden of its
fruit between the branches. 1t has
long been u matter thoroughly well
understood hereabouts that the earth
yroduces few, if any, other crops so
profitable as the citrus family Of fruits.
The planting of orange trees was
begun here about a hundred years ago,
the first experiments being made by
the far-seeing and enterprising mis-
ssionaries Of Spain, known as the "mis-
sion fathers" Their plant was neces-
xrily seedlings, and the area SO
cultivated was limited to the
needs of the missionaries. The
fathers. in every instance where
they founded a mission chose a spot
unsurpassed in the whole country
around for salubrity of climate, fertility
Of soil, abundance of water and charm
If scenery. Right at our doors is a
remarkable instance in San Gabriel.
The ventures of the missionaries had
hut little commercial significance, but
when the tide of industrial immigra-
ti0n set to these shores the first corners
were as charmed by the sight of bear
ing orange tree as the latest arrival of
oar day who comes in on the last ex-
cursi0n train. In most instances these
early pioneers set few of the vigor-
Gus and beautiful trees about their
homes.
EARLY PROFITS.
When the discovery of gold brought
the great crowds of argonauts to Cali
fornia, and San Francisco sprang
into existence as city these
early fruit-growers soon found
market for their products.
The supply was small and the stories
are all but incredible as to the profits
reaped from single acres of
orange trees. The late B. ID. Wilson
il said 10 have sold as much as $500
worth OF fruit from one acre of trees.
To get $1,000 and 5000 for the crop
from say 100 trees does not seem to
have been remarkable.
Such prices naturally stimulated
free planting of oranges wherever the
trees would grow and bear. Thus it
came about that towards the close of
the last decade there were more
oranges than the home demand could
take. In the meantime the Eastern
market had not been exploited, and
even as late AZ 1882 oranges were sold
in San Francisco for less than the
thither had cost. Those
familiar with the history of this in
dustry about that time will recollect
the gloomy forebodings of many. There
had been very large paintings of trees
made just previous to that era,
and those who expected every
tree set to come to maturity and bear
an average of three or four boxes of
fruit, now figured out on paper, fifty
ears day for each day in the year
~ required to carry the orangee crop
of Southern California.
In the meantime the eastern
market was thoroughly worked, and an
outlet Mt good prices opened for all
the fl il to be had in the semi-tropics.
The greatest output of fruit of any
one year was in the season before the
last when the total shipments under
the stimulus of the Orange Growers
aided by that of good
prices drew out about 200 ear loads
which was only fifty ears for forty
four days out of the 365 in the year. Last
year the crop come to not more than
1890 cars, or fifty a day for only
thirty days in the year.
THE PRICES REALIZED
For the crops since the opening of the
eastern markets have been very satis-
factory. Col. j. X. Dobbins, of San
Gabriel, for thirty-six acres has real
ized $40 900 to 81 900 for the fruit on
the tree. This is nearly $500 an acre.
A. b. Chapman, Esq, of San Gabriel,
IL reported as having netted $500 an
acre profit for five acres, after paying
heavy expenses for the determination
M the scale bug on those trees, and
Tor imported fertilizers for this section
ID his orchard. j. A. Graves. ESQ.
also of San Gabriel, from about six
acres sold fruit which paid him some
400 per acre. Mr.. A. F. Kercheryal.
ii this city. did quite as well from his
mShard. There is no risk in making
the statement that an intelli-
sent and industrious man
with five to ten acres of orange
trees in full bearing can get three
boxes Of fruit per tree year in and
year ont for twenty years or for twice,
three times or four times that period
for that matter. II there are of
proper varieties they are saleable at
- per box, or 50 per tree. An acre
Of ground will support seventy-fve
trees, and each acre will yield $675
worth of fr1,if